Fascinating India: Le Méridien Jakarta Executive Suite

My journey to India started from Jakarta as I needed to collect my passport from the Indian Embassy with the newly minted Indian visa. Such is the hassle of being based in small town in Indonesia. But it allowed me to do an overnight stay at the Le Méridien Jakarta. Having stayed there countless times, this would be the first time I accepted the suite upgrade since I usually required double beds and suites in this hotel usually come with single King beds.

Dusk view from Le Méridien Jakarta

The best room available upgrade usually places SPG Platinum guests in the newer ‘Tower’ wing which is closer to the Middle Eastern restaurant. However when taking a suite upgrade guests are assigned suites in the older wing. Actually I do prefer rooms in the older wing which have a better bathroom layout. Anyway I was given an Executive suite which was located on the 8th floor. The interesting part of this is that while it was the upper floors, there was a function or meeting room just down the corridor near the elevator. This might mean some crowds or noise in the afternoon but did not pose any problem during my stay.

Room No:1103Category:Executive Suite

Executive suite entranceLiving room of the suite

Upon entering the suite, I was happy with regards to the space since it is a full suite with a large living room. There is a wardrobe on the left upon entering and a powder room on the right. The living room has a center sofa with 2 armchairs by the side. There is also a window facing work desk which is similar to those in the standard rooms. Beside the work desk is a chair that leads to the bedroom itself.

Separate bedroom chamber

The bedroom has a display cabinet similar to the living room and features a separate flatscreen TV unit and 2 more armchairs. There was another large wardrobe in the bedroom along the walkway to the bathroom.

King bed in the room

Unlike the bathroom in the standard rooms, this has a rectangular layout and features a separate shower stall and bathtub. There was also a Euro-style bidet in addition the toilet. Double vanity counters are standard in the suite as well. The suite also features upgraded amenities from Club Mondes like those in the Club Rooms.

Bathroom with a bidetClub Mondes amenities in the suite

There was no lack of bottled water in the suites with 2 bottles provided above the minibar in the living room and another 4 bottles in the bathroom. The staff in the hotel would also gladly provide more for guests and that is something I have grown accustomed to when staying in SPG properties with only one exception during my stay at Westin Nagoya. Moments after I checked the room, a staff member came over and passed a generous fruit platter which I enjoyed during my stay.

Club lounge central walkway

As a guest in the suite and a SPG Platinum member, I had access to the Club Lounge which is located in the Tower wing and this meant connecting via the lobby or the 4th floor corridor that will connect both wings with the health club, spa and the gymnasium. The Club lounge is a nice space with their own check-in space and provides snacks and drinks throughout the day. Guests having breakfast in the club lounge would be able to order from an a-la-carte menu which was another great benefit. I did not have breakfast in the club lounge as I had it in the main floor restaurant on the first day and left the hotel too early for breakfast on the second day.

Le Méridien club breakfast menu

The gym in the hotel is equipped with modern exercise machines similar to other hotels of this calibre in Jakarta so that was appreciated. The gym also has some fruits, bottled water, earphones for rent and towels for guests to use after their workout which was great. Location of the hotel is right in the city centre with the World Trade Centre office complexes just opposite and several large shopping malls just a taxi ride away. The hotel also has a pretty good restaurant serving Middle Eastern cuisine and a great cafe on the lobby floor.

While in Jakarta, my preference would be to stay in Keraton at the Plaza which is attached to the Plaza Indonesia complex but the hotel was fully occupied for the duration of my stay and it is also usually twice the price. Rates for the Le Méridien, meanwhile varies between US$90-180 most of the time and that is a fair price for this property. For more review of the standard room, please refer to my earlier stay in 2011 at the Le Méridien Jakarta.